“I wish management would come out and either trade him or not trade him,”Bryant said crisply after the Lakers’ 102-90 loss Sunday. “It’s just tough for a player to give his all when you don’t know if you’re going to be here tomorrow.I’d rather them not trade him at all, but if they’re going to do something, I wish they would just … do it.”

The man is fed up with all the uneasy air of gloom in the team. The elephant in the room.

In my opinion, they don’t really have to give up Gasol. They made a lot of heads turn when they got him back in 2008 and he was one of the people responsible for the back to back championships in 09-10, they can’t just let him go. Yes, he was inconsistent during last season’s playoffs but he is playing better now. Not as good as before but he contributes a huge chunk in points and especially rebounds. Letting him leave would be a big mistake.

“He’s been the consummate professional,” Bryant said. “He’s going out and he’s trying to do what he can. But let’s be real. If you didn’t know you were going to be here tomorrow, if your head’s on the chopping block … it’s tough to put all of yourself into the game.”

Without a focused Gasol, the Lakers won’t be able to seriously challenge the Thunder, Spurs, Mavericks and Clippers for the top spot. It would be awesome if they get to have Dwight Howard, he could be a great help in anchoring the team in the playoffs but it would cost them having a disoriented team again. They are still struggling with Mike Brown’s new system and having another new player in the mix would be difficult especially in this lockout season. Not enough time to adjust thoroughly and have chemistry.

There is no need for the Lakers to have another big man because they have 2 of the best in the league. What they really need is a legitimate point guard. Or someone to help the back court. I was really excited about the rumor that Gilbert Arenas is going to be playing for the Lakers a few weeks ago. But no news from the management so far. I guess we will just have to wait til the All-Star break is over. In the mean time, Good luck to Pau in wrestling with the daily drama of the rumor mill.